Thomas B. Galligan

Thomas B. Galligan (1925-30 July 2015) was a judge of the New York City Criminal Court who was known for almost always siding with the state during trials, and for having several people sent to Rikers Island.

Biography
Thomas B. Galligan was born in New York City, New York in 1925, and he served in the US Navy during World War II. After the war, he became a judge on the Municipal Court of New York City, and, in 1974, he was appointed as a judge of the New York City Criminal Court. Galligan was thereafter designated an Acting Justice of the State Supreme Court in New York County for 20 years, and he developed a reputation as a solidly pro-state and "law and order" judge who almost always secured convictions against criminals; Rikers Island was nicknamed "Galligan's Island". In 1989, the state broke standard protocol by deliberately assigning the Central Park jogger case to Galligan, and he found the five juvenile defendants guilty and sentenced them each to 5-10 years in a detention facility, while Korey Wise was sentenced to 16 years. Galligan died in 2015 at the age of 90.